President William Ruto on Sunday, December 31, slammed leaders opposing the affordable housing program.
In his new year message, Ruto criticized public servants whom he accused of derailing the program by opposing the housing levy imposed on all employed citizens.
According to him, such officers were hindering the government’s plans to create jobs for Kenyan youth despite having the privilege of mortgage benefits.
“This is what happens when a public servant, enjoying a house mortgage at a 3% interest rate, makes decisions that frustrate the housing program, robbing millions of youths of employment prospects and denying millions of Kenyans the chance to own a home like them,” said Ruto.
He went on to explain that the housing program was meant to provide decent homes for millions of Kenyans, including slum-dwellers.
Further, the President said the program will reverse agricultural land fragmentation.
Also, Ruto stated that the housing program has already created 120,000 jobs and revealed plans to employ an even greater multitude of people next year.
“For the first time, my mama mboga and bodaboda friends will now have a chance to own a home in our KSh.4000 per month, 3% interest tenants purchase scheme, as will other Kenyans on our 6% interest affordable housing and the 9% market housing programs. All at single-digit interest rates, which is half the current rates,” he said.
Ruto Defends His Decisions
Additionally, President Ruto defended some of the decisions his government made in 2023.
According to him, the government changed the approach of handling national issues to overcome the economic difficulties facing the nation.
“We collectively summoned the courage to make bold, decisive, far-reaching and long-term decisions to once and for all put our country on the path to attaining its full socio-economic potential,” said Ruto.
“The choices we’ve made over the last year were neither easy, populist, nor convenient: they were however meaningful, appropriate and necessary. In the short-term painful, but in the long-term gainful,” he added.
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Furthermore, he revealed that inflation reduced to 6.8% and the GDP is growing at the rate of 5.4%.
This, he said, placed Kenya as the 29th fastest-growing economy globally.
“We deliberately redirected our focus to support production through incentives in our crops, livestock, and fisheries programs,” explained Ruto.
“Working with farmers, our foremost patriots, we shall double our efforts in 2024, until we reduce our Ksh.500 billion food import bill to zero, and rid our country of the shame of hunger,” he said.
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Ruto Attacks Azimio
In response to threats by some leaders, the President accused the opposition of promoting division and conflict without providing solutions to the problems facing the country.
According to him, the Azimio Coalition was focused on derailing the government’s operations.
“Having said this, you will agree with me that there is something fundamentally wrong with opposition, without any viable alternatives, whose only purpose is division, conflict, and anarchy; and litigation, sponsored by hostage-taking vested interests, with the sole aim to delay, derail and sabotage the delivery of public programs and defeat public interest,” he said.
Besides, the head of state said the inevitable clash of ideologies at the moment goes beyond a mere conflict over choices.
